Wrap-around article carriers have been in use for many years and have been developed to the point where they are a highly efficient and economical carrier, capable of being formed from blanks at the high speeds required by modern packaging or bottling facilities. In general, their construction is such that their sides completely enclose the articles contained in the package except for cutouts located to hold the heels or bases of the articles in place and, where appropriate, to retain the necks of the articles. The ends of the carrier are open. Finger holes in the top wall of the carrier permit easy handling by the purchaser. This construction basically supports the bottoms of the articles and is designed so that the end portions of the carrier blanks, which join together to form the bottom wall of the carrier, mechanically interlock to provide a secure construction.
A competitive carrier is the plastic type that holds the articles in place through support means engaging the upper portions of the articles. With this type of carrier the articles are suspended from the carrier rather than supported by it, as in the wrap-around design.
The wrap-around design has several advantages over the cheaper plastic type. The articles are better protected against breakage due to the fuller coverage afforded by the wrap-around design. This is important to the bottlers, to store owners and to the customers. The carriers permit convenient stacking and are easy to handle and carry. Further, advertising can be printed on the sides of the carriers, which is important to the producer of the articles being carried.
In order to continue providing the added advantages of wrap-around carriers it is important that the industry find ways to reduce costs without adversely affecting the basic design. This is considerably more difficult than it might first seem. The general design used throughout the industry is the result of countless improvements made over the years. This honing of the design has resulted in a carrier the features of which the industry would be reluctant to change. Certainly changes which would adversely affect the speed and efficiency of the packaging machines now in use would not be welcome.
The dilemma, therefore, is to reduce costs without changing the basic functional design.